Philadelphia Feb 8–Mar 3, 2019

Philadelphia Feb 8–Mar 3, 2019

A Heavenly Gift

The culture of ancient China was divinely inspired.

Shen
Yun’s works reflect this rich spiritual heritage.

Shen Yun
invites you to travel back to the magical world of ancient China. Experience a lost
culture through the breathtaking art of
classical Chinese dance, and see legends come to life. Shen Yun pushes the
boundaries of the performing arts to make this possible, with a
unique blend of colorful costuming, high-tech backdrops, and live orchestra. Be
prepared for a theater experience like no other.

A Heritage Once Lost

The traditional Chinese culture Shen Yun presents cannot be seen anywhere
else in the world—not even in China. There, the ruling
communist regime has viewed China’s rich spiritual and artistic heritage as a threat
to its ideology, and for decades sought to erase it. Chinese
artists have suffered untold ordeals over the past century.

But in 2006, a group of Chinese artists came together in New York with a vision
of preserving the best of China’s cultural heritage and
sharing it with the world. They drew courage and inspiration from their shared
practice of Falun Dafa (or “Falun Gong,” as it is also called)—a
spiritual discipline common to all of Shen Yun’s artists. The company’s repertoire
regularly includes important works shedding light on the
plight of believers like themselves in communist China today.

Full Houses Everywhere

Shen Yun is now the world’s premier classical Chinese dance
company. Some people fly from other countries or drive hundreds
of miles to see it. Others see the same performance five or six
times. Why? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to
experience Shen Yun yourself.

SHEN YUN HAS only been around for a decade, but these days,
wherever it goes theaters are packed. Some people fly from other countries or
drive hundreds of miles to see it. Others see the same show six times. Why? Many
say there are no words to describe it—you have to see it with your own eyes.

The Merriam Theater opened on August 26, 1918 as the Sam S. Shubert Theater. In the early years, Gershwin musicals and Al Jolson reviews graced the stage. John Barrymore played Hamlet in the '20s and burlesque was featured in the '30s. Other performers included Helen Hayes, Katherine Hepburn, Sammy Davis, Jr., Angela Lansbury and Sir Lawrence Olivier. The theater was taken over in 1972 by the University of the Arts, and in 1991 was renamed and dedicated to John W. Merriam, a local entrepreneur, who was active on the Board of Directors for many years.